This invention relates generally to industrial process units that utilize pressurized working fluids.
Industrial process units typically include pumps to drive an industrial process fluid that the industrial process units employ to perform their function. For instance, aqueous parts washers often use alkaline detergents to remove contaminants (e.g., oils, grease, particulate matter, etc.) from the surfaces of work pieces. Likewise, machining operations employ cutting fluids to cool and lubricate a cutting tool and wash away contaminants (e.g., waste chips, oils, particulate matter, bacteria, etc.).
After a period of use, however, contaminants begin to accumulate in the industrial process fluid and thereby degrade the performance of the industrial process fluid. Therefore, it is desirable to employ a purification system to remove the contaminants from the industrial process fluid to extend the useful life of the fluids. It may also be desirable to remove the contaminants as a precursor to discharge of the industrial process fluid into a sewer system.
Known purification systems require the utilization of one or more pumps, in addition to the pump or pumps that an industrial process unit employs to pressurize and propel the industrial process fluid while performing their functions. The additional pump or pumps are used to transfer contaminated fluids into the purification system and to remove the contaminants from the industrial process fluid. Adding one or more pumps to an industrial process unit, however, is not cost effective given the cost of the additional pumps.
Therefore, a need exists for a cost effective approach to promote the removal of contaminants from an industrial process fluid in an industrial process unit.